St. Mary's R. C. Primary School - School Brochure 2019-20 - Falkirk Council
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St. Mary’s R. C.
Primary School
School Brochure
2019-20
Contents
Foreword from the Director of Children’s Services
Service Pledges
Welcome from the Head Teacher
1. Practical Information about the School
• School Contact Details
• Communicating with the School
• School Policies
2. Parental Involvement in the School
• School Ethos
3. School Curriculum
• Assessment and Reporting your Child’s Progress
4. Support for Pupils
• Transitions – Moving to a New School or Leaving
School
5. School Improvement
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
A Foreword from the Director of Children’s Services
Session 2019-20
This handbook contains a range of information about your child’s school which will
be of interest to you and your child. It offers an insight into the life and ethos of the
school and also offers advice and assistance which you may find helpful in
supporting and getting involved in your child’s education.
Falkirk Council is keen to work with parents, not only to allow you a greater
opportunity to contribute to your child’s education, but also to encourage you to play
a greater role in the life of the school as a whole. We offer a number of opportunities
when you will be able to make your voice heard in relation to your own child’s
education, your local school, and Children’s Services as a whole.
Throughout each school year there will be opportunities for you to discuss your
child’s progress with his/her teacher. There will also be Council-wide events for
parents organised by Children’s Services. These events are spread across the
school year and each focuses on a particular theme. The events are open to all
parents and they are also attended, wherever possible, by the Education Portfolio
Holder as well as members of the Service’s Management Team. Each session offers
parents an opportunity to ask questions about aspects of their child’s education.
Dates for these events will be issued by your child’s school and we hope you will be
able to come along and hear about, and contribute to, our plans for Education in
Falkirk.
We are pleased to introduce this handbook for session 2019/20 and trust it will
provide you with all the relevant information you may need concerning your child’s
school. If you have any queries regarding the contents of the handbook please
contact the Head Teacher of your child’s school in the first instance who will be
happy to offer any clarification required.
Robert Naylor
Directors of Children’s Services
Falkirk Council
Footnote: If you want a printed copy of this handbook, please ask the school.
It may be possible to offer some assistance in helping to translate all or part of this
handbook to parents whose first language is not English. Enquiries should be
directed in to the Communications Officer for Children’s Services (tel: 01324
506657).
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Curriculum for Excellence - Learning to Achieve
Learning Entitlements
In addition to the entitlements of Curriculum for Excellence our education
provisions will reflect local needs and circumstances. Therefore, at different
stages of their education, our learners will have opportunities to:
• Link aspects of their learning to the local environment and its heritage
• Participate on a residential experience where possible
• Participate in arts, sports and cultural events
• Participate in environmental projects
• Participate in a community project
• Participate in outdoor learning experiences
• Access appropriate technology
• Be consulted on and contribute to the decision making process in school
• Experience work based learning
• Develop collaborative, social, leadership and other life skills
• Access academic and vocational learning experiences
• Access learning experiences designed and / or delivered by relevant partners
• Reflect upon and be pro active in planning and making choices about their own
learning
• Engage with learners in other countries and demonstrate knowledge of their
culture.
How can you help?
By law, you must make sure your child receives education.
As a parent, you can help your child by:
• making sure your child goes to school regularly;
• encouraging and supporting your child with any homework given;
• showing that you are interested in how your child is getting on at school;
• encouraging your child to respect the school and the whole school community;
and
• being involved in the life and work of the school.
Throughout this handbook the term ‘parent’ has the meaning attributed in the
Standards in Scotland's Schools Act 2000 and the Scottish Schools (Parental
Involvement) Act 2006. This includes grandparents, carer or anyone else who has
parental responsibility for the child.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Welcome from Mr Stephen McPeake Head Teacher
Welcome to the St. Mary’s School Handbook.
This handbook offers an introduction to our school and a general overview of the
education your child will be getting at school.
If you have any questions, or would like any further information on any aspect of this
handbook or the education of your child, please do not hesitate to contact me.
To make our handbook easy to use I’ve divided the information into five different
sections :-
Section One – Practical Information about the School
This section provides you with some background information on our school and our
nursery. It tells you how our school day and school year are made up and how to
contact the school if, for example, your child is ill.
This section deals with the practical aspects of your child’s attendance at our school.
It provides details on such things as:
• travelling to and from school
• school meals and milk
• financial assistance with school clothing, transport and school meals
• school closures in an emergency or unexpectedly for any reason
• general supervision available for your child in the morning and at lunchtime
• wet weather details
• how the school communicates with parents
• how to complain if you are not happy about something.
As with any organisation, to ensure smooth running and appropriate maintenance of
standards, a range of procedures and policies have to be implemented within our
school.
This section gives an overview of the policies the school has in place. If you would
like to see a full copy of these policies or to discuss them in more detail, please
contact me. Most of these policies are available on the school website –
www.st-marys.falkirk.sch.uk
• Homework Policy
• Clothing or uniform (PE Clothing)
• Health Statement / medicinesSt Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Section Two – Parental Involvement in the School Parental involvement is very important as we know it helps children do better in school. This section contains information about how parents can be involved in supporting learning at home as part of a home – school partnership. You can also find out more about the ethos of the school, what our values are and our aspirations for our pupils including how we celebrate pupil success, and links we have with partner organisations and the wider local, national and international community. Lastly, it includes information on our Parent Council, how to contact them and how parents can get involved in the life and work of the school. Section Three – School Curriculum This section describes how the curriculum is planned and delivered in the school including the range of subjects and subject areas your child will be learning. It also includes information on how pupils develop skills for learning, life and work, including literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing in and out of the classroom. As well as giving you information about the statutory curriculum requirements we have included details on sports and outdoor activities available to pupils and the range of facilities available within the school. Details of how parents will be informed about sensitive aspects of learning e.g. relationships, sexual health, parenthood and drugs awareness are included as well as information about religious instruction and observance and arrangements for parents who wish to exercise their right to withdraw their child. This handbook also tells you how we will report on your child’s progress and what written reports may be sent out to parents. Section Four – Support for Pupils This section gives information about how pupils’ additional support needs will be identified and addressed and the types of specialist services provided within our school. This handbook also explains who to contact for more information if you think your child has additional support needs. This section also gives information about transition – from primary school to secondary school – what the arrangements are and contact details of the catchment high school to which our pupils normally transfer. There are also details about making a placing request to another school. Section Five – School Improvement The section gives you an overview of the main achievements of the school within the last 12 months and performance information relating to literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Whilst Falkirk Council is happy to provide this information we do have some reservations that the publication of raw statistics, without any kind of informed qualification, can be misleading to the reader. In particular, they should not be construed as offering an indication of the quality of education provided in any of our schools. We have also shown where you can get further information about our plans for the next three years to improve our performance and how the school will involve parents in that improvement. I hope you find all of the above information helpful and self-explanatory. If you have any queries about any of the information contained in this handbook, or indeed about any aspect of our school, please do not hesitate to contact me. Mr Stephen McPeake Head Teacher St Mary’s RC Primary School Disclaimer The information in this school handbook is considered to be correct at the time of publication (Dec 2018), however, it is possible that there may be some inaccuracy by the start of the school term in August 2019.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Section One
Practical Information about the SchoolSt Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Contact Details Name of Head Teacher – Mr Stephen McPeake Name of School – St Mary’s RC Primary School Address – Gauze Road, Bo’ness EH51 9QB Telephone Number – (01506) 778380 Website - www.st-marys.falkirk.sch.uk E-mail Address - stmarysprimaryschool@falkirk.gov.uk About the school Stages of Education provided for - Nursery to P7 Present Roll 147 + Nursery (32 children) Denominational Status of the School – Roman Catholic Gaelic Medium Education No Single sex school No Organisation of the School Day Start Time 9.00 am Morning Break 10.30 am – 10.45 am Lunch Time (Nursery) 11.30- 12.00 noon Lunch Time (P1-3) 12.00 noon – 12.45 pm Lunch Time (P4-7) 12.15 pm – 1.00 pm Finish Time 3.00 pm Primary 1 pupils attend school on a full-time basis after the first week. Nursery children also start at 9.00 am and finish at 3.00 pm
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
FALKIRK COUNCIL: CHILDREN’S SERVICES
Agreed Term Dates for Session 2019-2020
Days
School Year Term Dates Staff Pupils
Autumn Term Begins (Staff Only - Dev Day) Monday 19 August 2019
(Staff Only - Dev Day) Tuesday 20 August 2019
Autumn Term Begins (Pupils) Wednesday 21 August 2019
Autumn Term Ends Friday 11 October 2019 39 37
Winter Term Begins (Staff Only - Dev Day) Monday 21 October 2019
Winter Term Begins (Pupils) Tuesday 22 October 2019
Winter Term Ends Friday 20 December 2019 45 44
Spring Term Begins Monday 06 January 2020
Spring Term Ends Friday 03 April 2020 63 62
Summer Term Begins Monday 20 April 2020
Summer Term Ends Thursday 25 June 2020 48 47
195 190
Term Time Public Holidays (4) Staff Development Days (5)
Monday 09 September 2019 Monday 19 August 2019
Friday 14 February 2020 Tuesday 20 August 2019
Monday 17 February 2020 Monday 21 October 2019
Monday 04 May 2020 Tuesday 18 February 2020
Friday 01 May 2020St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Registration and enrolment The date for registration of new school entrants is advertised in all local nurseries, the local press and on the council’s website www.falkirk.gov.uk. It is normally in January each year. Pupils should be registered in only one school for their catchment area. Parents will be provided with information about the school, when they register their child. Pupils who are baptised Roman Catholic are automatically entitled to enrol at the denominational catchment school. All other pupils must make a placing request to attend a denominational school. Parents who want to send their child to a school other than the catchment school must make a placing request. Please refer to section four of this handbook for more information on placing requests. Parents of pupils who have moved into the catchment area or, who wish their child to transfer to the school, should contact the school office for information. Attendance and absence It is the responsibility of parents of a child of school age to make sure that their child is educated. Most do this by sending their child to school regularly. Attendance is recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon. Absence from school is recorded as ‘authorised’ i.e. it has been approved by the education authority, or as ‘unauthorised’ i.e. the absence remaining unexplained by the parent. Please let the school know by letter, email to the school’s generic address or phone if your child is likely to be absent. If there is no explanation from a child’s parents / carers, the absence will be regarded as unauthorised. Please make every effort to avoid family holidays during term time as this disrupts your child’s education and reduces learning time. In certain extreme situations, the head teacher can approve absence from school for a family holiday for example, in traumatic domestic circumstances where the holiday would improve the cohesion and wellbeing of the family. Please discuss your plans with the head teacher before the holiday. If the head teacher does not give permission before the holiday, it will be recorded as unauthorised absence. The head teacher may also exercise discretion when a parent can prove that work commitments make a family holiday impossible during school holiday times. Normally, your employer will need to provide evidence of your work commitments. Absence approved by the head teacher on this basis is regarded as authorised absence. Parents from minority ethnic and/or religious communities may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to celebrate recognised religious and/or cultural events. Absence approved by the head teacher on this basis is regarded as authorised absence. Extended leave can also be granted on request for families returning to their country of origin for cultural or care reasons.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
A supportive approach is taken to unexplained absence. However the education
authority has legal powers to write to, interview or prosecute parents, or refer pupils to
the Reporter to the Children’s Panel.
School Dress Code
Parents are asked to co-operate with the school in encouraging their child to follow the
school’s dress code.
All schools have a dress code, which includes the school’s policy on uniform. The
wearing of uniform is encouraged as it helps to:
• develop a school community spirit
• improves school security by making non-pupils more easily identifiable
• allows pupils to be easily identified when out of the school, e.g. on trips
• enhances the school’s reputation within the community; and
• minimises rivalry and bullying amongst pupils that can arise from, for example,
the wearing of designer clothing.
The school’s dress code has been agreed in consultation with parents, pupils, staff and
the Parent Council. This consultation has ensured that the dress code meets the needs
of the school community, allows pupils to participate in all aspects of school life and is
age appropriate.
St Mary’s school uniform consists of black/grey trousers or skirt, white shirt and
school tie and a black school jumper (either plain or with embroidered badge).
Parents also have the option of purchasing a badged black school blazer or
waterproof fleece jacket.
Supplier details and order forms are available on the school website to download.
The appropriate clothing and footwear for PE is a T-shirt, shorts and gym shoes with
non-marking soles. These are necessary for health and safety reasons and your co-
operation is requested to ensure that pupils are equipped to participate in the PE
lessons.
Please ensure that all items of clothing are clearly labelled, particularly ties, sweat shirts
and PE equipment, which are often lost. A protective apron or an old shirt should be
worn for art and craft activities. Please help the school and the education authority by
making sure that pupils do not bring valuable or expensive items of clothing to school.
In certain circumstances, appropriate clothing will be necessary for school activities for
safety reasons, e.g. in games areas, science laboratories and technical workshops; this
extends to the wearing of suitable footwear and even, on occasion, to the length of
pupils’ hair and the wearing of jewellery and earrings.
Offensive clothing such as T-shirts or other items featuring inappropriate language or
illustrations is not permitted. Football colours are also inappropriate as they can lead to
incidents of rivalry.St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
If you have any queries regarding the school’s dress code, please contact the
Headteacher.
Free School Meals and Clothing Grants
Some families may be eligible to apply to Falkirk Council for free school meals and / or
a payment towards the cost of footwear and clothing.
You can get more information, and apply online at www.falkirk.gov.uk/fsm. You can also
contact 01324 506999, or visit our One Stop Shops or the Advice and Support Hub.
Orders are placed each morning and children can select and pay for meals either
on a weekly or daily basis. Please ensure your child has sufficient money for their
school dinner each day. School dinners and packed lunches will be eaten in the
school dinner hall.
Medically Prescribed Diets
Parents/Carers with a child/ren on a medically prescribed diet should contact the
Headteacher in order to obtain and complete a prescribed diet referral form. The
Schools Meals Service will only accommodate a child/ren with a medical referral
supplied by their G.P.
School Clothing Grant
Falkirk Council can also provide assistance with the cost of school clothing and
footwear.
Clothing grants are available for children who live in the Falkirk Council area and who
are in compulsory education at any of our primary, special or secondary schools.
Pupils attending some special schools outside the area may also be eligible for this
grant.
School clothing grants are not available to children attending nursery schools, nursery
classes or other pre-5 centres.
The School Clothing Grant is means tested. To be eligible, parents or guardians must
meet one of the following criteria:
• In receipt of Income Support, or
• In receipt of Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, or
• In receipt of Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
• In receipt of Child Tax Credit only with a gross annual income below £16,105, or
• In receipt of Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit with a gross annual
income below £16,105
Payments are paid directly into the parent or guardian’s bank account.St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Travel to and from School
Parents should remind their child(ren) that, in the interests of safety, good behaviour is
expected from all pupils travelling on school transport.
Children should be reminded by parents that, wherever possible, they should only cross
the road where there is a crossing patrol and should exercise care on walking to and
from school.
Parents are requested, when dropping off/collecting children from school, that they do
not park near the pedestrian exit or in any location which causes an obstruction and
they take care not to restrict the view of the school crossing patrol.
Transport for Primary and Secondary School Children
(Excluding Placing Requests)
Free school transport is provided to and from your home address to your child’s
catchment school if they are distance entitled. Falkirk Council operate a more generous
distance entitlement policy than required by law.
Distance entitled children are:
All children under 8 years of age who live one mile or over from their catchment
school by the nearest available safe walking route*.
All children 8 years of age or over who live two miles or over from their
catchment school by the nearest available safe walking route*.
*Note – a “safe walking route” assumes that the pupil is accompanied by a
responsible adult.
Concessions, details of times of operation, criteria and application forms are available
from the Transport Planning Unit within Falkirk Council. Tel: 01324 504724 / 504966.
Pickup points
Where home to school transport is provided, some pupils will require to walk a
reasonable distance from home to the transport pick-up point but this should not exceed
the authority’s agreed limit of 1 mile.
It is the parent's responsibility to make sure that their child arrives at the pickup point on
time and behaves in a safe and acceptable manner while boarding, travelling in and
leaving the vehicle. Children who misbehave can lose their right to home to school
transport.
School Transport Service 135 (Bomains to Grange & St. Mary’s Primary Schools) is
currently operated by Adamson (01506 510607). Further information regarding school
transport can be found on the Falkirk Council website.
http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/schools-education/school-life/school-transport.aspxSt Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 General Supervision Before school begins supervision is very limited, therefore pupils should not arrive at school until as near to the school start time as possible. During intervals school helpers supervise the children. In addition the Headteacher and Janitor are on call to cope with any difficulties which may arise. There is always access to the building and the children are made aware of this. For further information on these arrangements, please contact the school. School security Falkirk Council has introduced procedures to ensure the safety and security of pupils and staff when attending or working in a school. We use a number of security measures including a visitors’ book, badges and escorts, while visitors are within the school building. Normally, anyone calling at a school for any reason, will be asked to report to the school office. The school staff then can make the necessary arrangements for the visit. Wet Weather Arrangements In wet weather pupils are allowed into school during breaks and at lunchtime. However, as supervision during these periods is limited, it is especially important that they exercise good behaviour. Children having school lunches may remain in school during wet weather but, again, supervision is limited. Parents Meetings All of our schools offer opportunities for parents to discuss their child's progress with teachers through arranged meetings. Arrangements vary from school to school but all parents will be advised of when these meetings will take place. In addition to these set dates, parents are able to contact the school at any time to ask for information or for a meeting. Please see section two of this handbook for more details on home / school partnership. Communication with Home From time to time you will receive important and routine communications from the school via variety of methods (email, group call, social media etc.). Parents are also encouraged to check their child’s schoolbag for these communications. Enquiries of any kind should be addressed to the Head Teacher in the first instance. Unexpected Closures Most closures will be notified to you in writing, in advance, but there are occasions when the children may be dismissed early without warning, e.g. as a result of power cuts or severe weather. In the event of an early school closure please ensure that your child knows where to go if you are not usually at home during the day. To help us keep you informed it is important that you make sure we have the most up to date emergency contact information for your family. We will keep in touch using text messaging, via the Falkirk Council website or via information broadcast on Central FM.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Mobile devices Parents provide their children with mobile devices for a variety of reasons, including supporting learning and for personal safety. It is the right of parents to allow their child to have a personal mobile device in school. However, if devices are brought to school there must be a clear understanding that the individual pupil is responsible for the care and usage of their device(s). Education establishments develop their own mobile device policies in consultation with pupils, parents and staff. For more information on this topic, please contact your child’s school. ICT Acceptable Use Policy Falkirk Council Children’s Services recognises that access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment and services helps young people to learn and develop skills that will prepare them for work, life and citizenship in the 21st Century. To support this, we provide resources for pupils and staff to use. The Children’s Services ICT Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) outlines the guidelines and behaviours that pupils are expected to follow when using school equipment or when using personally- owned mobile devices in Falkirk Council establishments. The purpose of this is to protect young people online and to protect the Council’s network and equipment. The ICT Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) will be issued by the school for both parent(s) and pupil(s) to sign. Equality The council is required to work towards advancing equality of opportunity for all people and to foster good relations between people. The council is committed to eliminating discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, marriage or civil partnership, transgender status, pregnancy/maternity or poverty. Children’s Services has a range of policies and procedures to address equalities issues specific to education to enable us to fulfil these duties. In addition to this all education establishments have a responsibility to report incidents of prejudice-based bullying. English as an Additional Language The Council provides a support service of teachers of English as an additional language. The teachers visit schools to work with those bilingual pupils who require assistance in developing English language skills. Compliments, Enquiries and Complaints Procedure Falkirk Council Children’s Services would like you to be completely satisfied with your child's education. We encourage feedback on our services from parents, pupils and members of the public. We are interested in feedback of all kinds, whether it be compliments, enquiries or complaints.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Sometimes, parents/carers may feel that the services provided are not what they wished for and they may wish to complain. If you have a complaint about the service provided by the school, please let us know. How do I complain? Complaints can be made to schools in writing, by email, on the telephone, in person or by using the Falkirk Council online complaints form on the website. Who do I complain to? Parents must first consult the school regarding their complaint. What happens with my complaint? All complaints will now be logged confidentially on our Customer First online complaints handling system. They will be monitored exclusively by each school and Children’s Services staff at Sealock House to ensure any response is within the timescales. This system will enable us to learn from complaints to prevent similar issues arising in future. We will deal with your complaint confidentially and as quickly as possible. If we have made a mistake we will apologise and try to put things right. How long will it take until I get a reply? Our aim is to respond within 5 working days to front line complaints, (Stage 1) although issues can sometimes be complex and the school may need time to investigate them. What happens next? If your complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved by the school, it may be eligible for consideration at the second, investigation stage by Children’s Services headquarters at Sealock House. Complaints will not be considered by Children’s Services unless they have been first reported to the school – unless there are exceptional circumstances. Our aim is to respond to second stage complaints within 20 working days. Who else can help? If you remain dissatisfied after the second, investigation stage, you can raise the matter with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman https://www.spso.org.uk/complain/form/start/ You should also be aware that you have the right to raise concerns with your local Councillor, MSP or MP. What else do I need to know? Please note that schools can only respond to complaints about a service that they or Falkirk Council provides or a service we have contracted from a third party. The Council’s complaints handling procedure sets a time limit for making a complaint of six months from when the customer first knew of the problem You can find out more about the Council’s Complaint Procedure from the Falkirk Council website - http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/contact-us/complaints/
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
School Health Service
NHS Forth Valley has a statutory obligation to provide a health service for all school age
children in Falkirk District. The aim of the service is to make sure that all children,
throughout their school years, are in the best possible health to benefit from their
education
The Public Health Nursing Team for Schools offer health assessments and reviews,
health screening and deliver school based immunisation programmes. The team
comprises of Public Health Nurses (Specialist Practitioner), Registered Nurses and
Healthcare Assistants who are based in a local Health Centre and work over a number
of schools in the area.
Pupils, parents/carers can request a health appointment at any time. Other health
professionals and teaching staff can also request a health appointment for the child or
young person with parental and or young person’s consent.
Health reviews will take place as necessary involving a parent questionnaire, a check of
health records and if required screening of growth and vision.
• Health screening – All children in primary one and at other selected stages will
be seen to have their growth and vision checked
• Immunisations – Secondary school pupils are offered immunisations. At the
appropriate time information booklets and consent forms will be issued.
• Health Education – The Public Health Nursing Team has an important role in
encouraging health lifestyles, working closely with teaching staff, pupils,
parents/carers and the community.
The School Doctor (Community Paediatrician) may also offer appointments to children
who have a significant ongoing medical or developmental condition affecting their
education. School staff and parents can request a consultation with the School Doctor
at any time.
The School Health Service can be contacted on – 01786 434059
The Public Dental Service carries out dental inspections in Primary 1 and Primary 7 and
can help access dental services for those children who are not registered with a Dentist.
Infectious Diseases
Colds, flu and gastroenteritis are the most common infections affecting children of
school age. It is important that you keep your child off school in the early stages of flu
and while they still have diarrhoea.
It is also important that your child understands how to prevent picking up and spreading
such infections. You will be able to get further advice about good health from staff in
your Health Centre or GP Practice.
For advice about early detection and treatment for other infectious diseases e.g.
chickenpox and mumps, please consult your GP or Nurse.St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Head Lice Head lice are spread through head to head contact at home, while playing or in school. Regular wet combing of your child’s hair using a head lice detection comb is the best way to catch this possible problem at an early stage. The only way to be sure that your child has head lice is to find a live louse. If you find live lice, get the correct lotion from your doctor, health visitor or pharmacist. Shampoos and other treatments are not effective. One treatment is two applications of the treatment lotion, seven days apart. If this is not followed then re-infection is likely. Advise family members and close friends that your child has head lice and that they should check their own hair. Only treat if live lice are found. Don’t be shy about advising others of this possible problem because you would likely tell family and friends about other infections which might affect them. Regular wet combing of your child’s hair with the head lice detector comb is the best protection as it allows you to detect the condition and treat it speedily. Further advice can be obtained from the Health Board head lice leaflet which is available in all schools and health centres. Children’s Services leaflet ‘Frequently Asked Questions’, which is also available in schools. If you would like to discuss your particular concerns, you could speak to: Infection Control Service Forth Valley Royal Hospital Stirling Road Larbert FK5 4WR 01324 567490 / 01324 567679 Clinics From time to time some children are asked to attend clinics (eye clinics, dentist, doctor, etc). Please inform the school of these visits and arrange for your child to be collected if he/she must leave school to attend the clinic. No child will be allowed away from school during school hours unless accompanied by a responsible adult or unless written permission to do so has been given by the parent. Medicine administration The administration of medicines prescribed by a family doctor is undertaken at the discretion of the Headteacher but schools are generally happy to co-operate with parents in doing so. In order to safeguard the health and safety of children, procedures
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 are drawn up by Falkirk Council Children’s Services. When a child is prescribed medication by a doctor or a dentist and parents require the school to administer this, the relevant request Form should be completed. The MED 1 Form requires parents to deliver the medication to schools for administration by school staff. MED 4 Form permits pupils to carry and administer medication themselves e.g. inhalers. Prescribed medication should be clearly marked with your child’s name, the date prescribed, how often it has to be taken and for how long. Falkirk Council liability insurance does not provide indemnity to employees for administering non- prescribed medicines. For medical appointments during school hours, please notify the school by letter and collect your child from the school.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Insurance Cover for School Children
Public Liability
Personal Injury
Falkirk Council has in force a Public Liability policy which operates in respect of
claims for injury to any school child whilst in the control of the Council or employees,
however the onus is on the claimant to prove that the Council have been legally
negligent.
Pupil’s Property
Each session, unfortunately but inevitably, pupil’s property is lost, damaged or stolen
from school. Parents are therefore discouraged from allowing their children to carry
expensive items of personal belongings to the school and are reminded that a
standard household policy can be extended to provide a degree of cover for personal
items taken away from the home. Falkirk Council are not legally responsible for lost,
damaged or stolen items unless specifically entrusted to a staff member.
Any claim made for loss or damage to the property left in the care of the school will
have to be submitted, in the first instance to Children’s Services, and the claim will
only be settled if it is shown that the Council can be held legally liable for the loss.
Personal Accident Cover – Educational Excursions
The Council has in force personal accident cover for school children under which
compensation is payable in the circumstances below, irrespective of legal liability.
1. Death £30,000
2. Permanent Total/Partial Disablement up to £30,000
The insurance applies to any activities involving a journey outside the premises of the
School – both in the UK and overseas – organised by the school/Council.St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Section Two
Parental Involvement in the SchoolSt Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Section Two – Parental Involvement in the School
Parents Welcome
All Falkirk Council schools welcome and encourage parental involvement and
engagement. Research has shown that when parents are involved children do better
in school.
Within St. Mary’s we recognise that parents and carers are an integral part of our
learning community. We try to provide a variety of opportunities for parents to
share in their child’s learning experiences.
As part of our P1 transition programme all parents are invited for individual visits to
meet our staff and pupils, take part in a ‘Come Dine with Me’ experience to sample
our school meals and are encouraged to attend a Parents’ Breakfast event in the
first week. This provides the opportunity to meet with other parents and be made
to feel welcome in our school community.
Throughout the school year we have many events where parents are encouraged
to engage with their child’s learning environment such as Meet the Teacher and
Meet the Headteacher in September. Throughout the course of the school year
you will also have the opportunity to take part in curricular information workshops,
class assemblies and prayer services. We also have Parents’ Evening in February
to update you on your child’s progress with a written summary issued at the end of
the school year. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress we would
encourage you to contact the school where we will be happy to arrange a suitable
appointment.
We appreciate and value the importance of good communication between school
and home. All information will now be provided to you via email so it is important
that we have an up-to-date email address to allow us to communicate effectively
with you. Each child will also have their Homework Diary and staff will use this to
pass on class based information. Parents should also use the diary as a
home/school link. We also have a school twitter account - @stmarysboness where
each class will give regular updates on the learning that is taking place.
Parentzone Scotland is a unique website for parents and carers in
Scotland, from early years to beyond school. The website provides
up-to-date information about learning in Scotland, and practical
advice and ideas to support children’s learning at home in literacy,
numeracy, health and wellbeing and science. Information is also
available on Parentzone Scotland regarding additional support
needs, how parents can get involved in their child’s school and
education. Furthermore, the website has details about schools including
performance data for school leavers from S4-S6; and links to the national, and local
authority and school level data on the achievement of Curriculum for ExcellenceSt Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
levels. Parentzone Scotland can be accessed at
https://education.gov.scot/parentzone.
Parental Involvement
We value the support parents, grandparents and others carers provide within our
school. Many of our parents have skills that can help us to deliver an engaging
curriculum and we encourage you to become involved if possible. Some of our
parents have also been involved in the development of the school curriculum and
we would like to ensure that parents continue to be an important part of the
decision-making process.
We regularly seek the views of parents on a variety of issues, either through drop-
in sessions, information evenings or via the Parent Council (questionnaires, on-line
surveys). We have a planned programme of self-evaluation which involves seeking
feedback from parents, pupils and other key representatives on a range of
subjects.
Parent Councils
Parents are welcomed to be:
• involved with their child’s education and learning;
• be active participants in the life of the school; and
• express their views on school education generally and work in partnership with
the school.St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
All parents / carers are automatically members of the Parent Forum at this school.
As a member of the Parent Forum all parents can expect to –
• receive information about the school and its activities;
• hear about what partnership with parents means in our school;
• be invited to be involved in ways and times that suit you;
• identify issues you want the Parent Council to work on with the school;
• be asked your opinion by the Parent Council on issues relating to the school and
the education it provides;
• work collaboratively with the school; and
• enjoy taking part in the life of the school in whatever way possible.
Parent Councils are the formal representative body for parents / carers with children
attending school. Parent Councils are different in each school to enable them to
meet the needs of parents / carers locally.
The Parent Forum decides how their representatives on the Parent Council are
chosen and how the Parent Council operates. Parents / carers are encouraged to
volunteer or put themselves forward to be chosen as representatives of the Parent
Council if they wish.
The main aims of the Parent Council are:
• To support and work collaboratively with the school in its work with pupils
• To seek and represent the views of parents
• To promote contact between the school, parents, pupils, providers of nursery
education and the community
• To report to the Parent Forum
• To be involved in the appointment of senior promoted staff in the school.
• To raise funds for the school for the benefit of pupils (in some schools the
PTA/PA fulfils this role).
We have a very active Parent Council who support the school in many ways. They
have their own Facebook page where contact details and copies of minutes from
earlier meetings can be found. Please contact the school for more information.
For more information on parental involvement and engagement or to find out about
parents as partners in their children’s learning, please contact the school or visit the
Parentzone website at https://www.education.gov.scot/parentzone/
Pupil Council
St Mary’s has an enthusiastic Pupil Council. They help to make many positive
changes in the life of the school. Each year pupils are nominated by their classmates
to represent their views at the meetings. Issues that are most relevant to the childrenSt Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 are discussed and their feedback is valued and taken into consideration in any decision making. School Ethos We want every child within St Mary’s to be the best they can be. Our school motto “SINE ME NIHIL” reminds us that without God we are nothing. The following page summarises how our aims and values fit together to create the supportive, positive environment where we aim to encourage ALL children to set high expectations for themselves and work hard to reach them. Children’s achievements are recognised in many different ways within our school and each class teacher has their own class motivational goals and rewards. Our weekly school assemblies provide an opportunity for any awards and notable achievements to be highlighted. St Mary’s is a Catholic school and an integral part of our school is the development of our Faith. Our local Parish of St Mary’s of the Assumption is essential in supporting our children’s Faith Journey through the Sacraments. We regularly attend mass as a school within the church and Fr Forrest is always a welcome visitor to our school. http://stmaryschurch.wordpress.com/ The school works alongside The Community Trust which provides our Active Schools Coordinator. We work together with Active Schools to plan a range of outdoor activities and lunchtime/ after school sports activities. We also work closely with The Fair Committee to support the Bo’ness Fair Day activities.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Vision Statement
Our school aspires to develop as a community of faith and learning,
providing the highest quality of education, and offering formation
through the promotion of Gospel values, through celebration and
worship and through service to the common good.
Successful Learners Confident Individuals
• Be an enthusiastic and • Self respect
motivated learner • Feel good about myself
• Aim high and be the best I can everyday
be • Pursue a healthy and active
• Welcome challenge in my lifestyle
learning
Responsible Citizens Effective
• Respect and value each other
Contributors
• Work independently and as a
• Know how to look after the member of a team
environment around us
• Contribute to the school community • Solve problems
• Accept responsibility and make • Become actively involved
the right choicesSt Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Development of Pupils’ mental, social and emotional
wellbeing
The school is committed to supporting the development of its pupils as whole people
and as a result, wishes to encourage their holistic wellbeing.
Mental, social and emotional wellbeing is supported in the following ways;
• Creating a school ethos which, in every way possible, gives value to these
aspects of development, especially by providing an overall atmosphere that is
both caring and challenging and which provides opportunities for exercising
rights and responsibility.
• Ensuring that staff and adults in the school acts as positive models for pupils.
• Providing opportunities for members of the school community to come together
as a whole to reinforce common values.
• Providing rich opportunities across all areas of the curriculum to develop
mental, social and emotional wellbeing.
• Taking every opportunity within the curriculum and across the under work of the
school to celebrate diversity and promote equality.
Pupil Conduct
A partnership between the school and family is necessary to ensure the best
possible standards of pupil conduct.
Pupils are expected to set themselves high standards in appearance and behaviour.
School rules are devised to encourage the maximum amount of self-discipline. The
rules make clear what is expected of pupils, and how they are required to behave.
The general aim is to produce an atmosphere of friendly co-operation, encouraging
respect and consideration for other persons and for property. A behavioural
agreement is included in the School Enrolment Form that parents complete when
enrolling their child(ren).St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Steps to Success
Set targets and work hard to achieve them
Keep our school tidy
Show respect for everyone
Keep our school tidy
Always do your best
Include everyone Be kind and gentle
Show good manners Always be truthful
Restorative Approach To Bullying Behaviour
Whilst many believe that children who display bullying behaviour should be
punished, it is widely accepted that this type of response can at times be ineffective,
and make the situation worse.
The adoption of restorative approaches is evidenced to be a more effective response
than traditional methods. Pupils are given the opportunity to accept responsibility for
their actions, recognise the harm done and are supported to find restorative
responses to the harm they have caused.
There are times where sanctions are appropriate; exclusion is seen as a last resort
and carried out when incidents fall within the legislation criteria.
Falkirk Council has a responsibility to provide an education for all pupils and to
challenge and address bullying behaviour. Whilst appropriate action will be taken by
the school, it is also important that all parent/carers, work with the school to resolve
any issues in the best interests of their child or young person.
At St Mary’s we expect high standards of behaviour at all times. Children should feel
proud that they represent our school and feel safe and secure in their learning
environment. Where behaviour falls short of our expectations we aim to deal with
issues swiftly in a caring but authoritative manner. Relationships within the school
are key in encouraging good behaviour. All staff are trained in Restorative Practices
and aim to provide a consistent whole school approach to behaviour management.
For further information about Restorative Approaches please see the following link
http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/schools-education/additional-support-
needs/behaviour-development.aspx
Children were involved in creating our Anti-Bullying Policy and are rewarded for theirSt Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 good behaviour through individual class reward systems and reward time based on our ‘Steps to Success’ (displayed earlier). These are the key steps that the children understand they need to follow.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Section Three School Curriculum
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20 Section Three – School Curriculum Curriculum for Excellence Bringing learning to life and life to learning Curriculum for Excellence has now been introduced across Scotland for all 3-18 year olds – wherever they learn. It aims to raise standards, prepare our children for a future they do not yet know and equip them for jobs of tomorrow in a fast changing world. Glow, Scotland’s unique, world leading, online network supports learners and teachers and plans are already in place for parents across the country to have access to Glow. Parents should ask the school how to arrange access to Glow and a user name and password will be issued. Teachers and practitioners will share information to plan a child’s ‘learning journey’ from 3-18, helping their progression from nursery to primary, primary to secondary and beyond, ensuring each transition is smooth. They’ll ensure children continue to work at a pace they can cope with and with challenge they can thrive on. Curriculum for Excellence balances the importance of knowledge and skills. Every child is entitled to a broad and deep general education, whatever their level and ability. Every single teacher and practitioner will be responsible for the development of literacy and numeracy and health and wellbeing from Early Level through to Senior Phase. It develops skills for learning, life and work, bringing real life into the classroom, making learning relevant and helping young people apply lessons to their life beyond the classroom. It links knowledge in one subject area to another helping make connections in their learning. It develops skills which can enable children to think for themselves, make sound judgements, challenge, enquire and find solutions. There are a variety of ways assessing progress and ensuring children and young people achieve their potential. This includes teachers’ professional judgement, Scottish National Assessment and national qualifications. There is an entitlement to personal support to help young people fulfil their potential and make the most of their opportunities with additional support wherever that’s needed. There is an emphasis by all staff on looking after our children’s health and wellbeing – to ensure that the school is a place where children feel safe and secure. Ultimately, Curriculum for Excellence aims to improve our children’s life chances, to nurture successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, and responsible citizens, building on Scotland’s reputation for great education. Through Curriculum for Excellence, teachers will continue to develop a wide and varied range of learning approaches with an emphasis on methods which help to motivate children and young people to learn.
St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
Please find below a few key strategies in relation to Numeracy, Literacy and
Health & Wellbeing. Throughout the year there will be opportunities to visit the
school and learn more about these strategies.
Numeracy
In order to improve mental maths skills the Big Maths programme is used to build
up confidence and speed in basic calculations in a structured manner. When
learning in this way the children are very motivated and engaged in their maths
work.
Literacy
The Active Literacy programme is now well embedded for spelling and phonics up
to primary seven. We are also continuing to develop new Active Reading
strategies for the whole school. Children will continue to develop their writing skills
through Big Writing. This will focus on key skills of punctuation and extend and
develop vocabulary with WOW words.
Health & Well Being
We are building partnerships with the local community that allow us to engage the
children in outdoor learning. We also have an orienteering course that provides
many experiences for literacy and numeracy to be delivered in a creative context
outdoors. We encourage children to be leaders through our P1 buddy system,
paired reading and leading lunchtime clubs for younger children. This has a
positive impact on self-confidence.
We will continue to develop opportunities for children to engage with technology
effectively to enhance the learning experience across the curriculum.
Learning to Achieve – is our core educational policy. It describes in detail how
Curriculum for Excellence will be delivered in our educational establishments. We
use Learning to Achieve along with the national guidance to monitor, develop and
improve outcomes for children and young people.
The Curriculum
The curriculum aims to ensure that all children and young people in Scotland
develop the attributes, knowledge and skills they will need to flourish in life,
learning and work. This is encapsulated in the four capacities – to enable each
child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a
responsible citizen and an effective contributor. The curriculum at St Mary’s is
designed around the following key principles:
• Challenge and enjoyment
• Breadth
• Progression
• Depth
• Personalisation and choice
• Coherence
• Relevance.St Mary’s RC Primary School Handbook 2019-20
These principals are at the heart of teachers planning, review and evaluation of
learning opportunities.
The curriculum areas ensure that learning takes place across a broad range of
contexts. The experiences and outcomes describe the expectations for learning.
Taken together, experiences and outcomes across the curriculum areas sum up
national aspirations for every young person: the knowledge and understanding,
skills, capabilities and attributes we hope they will develop. We will continue to
think imaginatively about how the experiences and outcomes might be organised
and planned for in creative ways which encourage deep, sustained learning and
which meet the needs of their children and young people. The eight curriculum
areas are:
• Expressive arts
• Health and wellbeing
• Languages
• Mathematics
• Religious and moral education
• Sciences
• Social studies
• Technologies
The experiences and outcomes describe the expectations for learning and
progression in all areas of the curriculum. The teachers use progression pathways
in each area of the curriculum. They set out clear lines of progression and their
purpose is to make clear what learners need to know and be able to do to
progress through the levels. At St Mary’s we want to focus on the quality and
nature of the learning experience in developing attributes and capabilities and in
achieving active engagement, motivation and depth of learning. Revisiting a
concept or skill from different perspectives deepens understanding, and can also
make the curriculum more coherent and meaningful from the learner's point of
view. We will continue to develop important themes such as enterprise, citizenship,
sustainable development, international education and creativity in a range of
contexts.
The curriculum should include space for learning beyond subject boundaries, so
that children and young people can make connections between different areas of
learning. Interdisciplinary studies can provide relevant, challenging and enjoyable
learning experiences and stimulating contexts to meet the varied needs of children
and young people. They also can provide opportunities to work with partners who
are able to offer and support enriched learning experiences and opportunities for
young people's wider involvement in society.
Effective interdisciplinary learning:
• can take the form of individual one-off projects or longer courses of study
• is planned around clear purposes
• is based upon experiences and outcomes drawn from different curriculum
areas or subjects within them
• ensures progression in skills and in knowledge and understandingYou can also read
